PRAGUE (AP) — Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova will lead the Czech Republic and Angelique Kerber will play for Germany in next week’s Fed Cup final.
Following an early exit from the WTA Finals, Kvitova has a chance to win the Fed Cup title for the third time in four years while Germany is seeking its first triumph since 1992.
Kvitova is 3-2 against the 10th-ranked Kerber.
Captains Petr Pala of the Czech Republic and Barbara Rittner of Germany announced their four-player teams on Wednesday.
Andrea Petkovic and Sabine Lisicki are the other two German options to join Kerber in the singles, while Julia Goerges is the remaining player.
Karolina Pliskova, a 22-year-old rising star of Czech tennis, made the squad for the first time. Pliskova won the Generali Ladies last month for her second WTA title this year and is a career-high 24th in the rankings.
Big serving Lisicki defeated Pliskova 7-5, 6-3 in the final of the Hong Kong Open in September for her first WTA title in three years.
Lucie Safarova is also in contention for singles for the Czechs, while doubles specialist Lucie Hradecka has been selected for the Nov. 8-9 best-of-five series on an indoor hard court in Prague.
The Czechs, who beat Germany in their previous three encounters, won the Fed Cup in 2011 and ’12.
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